A helicopter makes a drop of straw in the Fourmile burn area last year.
(
CLIFF GRASSMICK
)

Preparatory work for continued land rehabilitation in 350 acres burned in the Fourmile Fire in 2010 gets under way this week.

The efforts are part of ongoing work to mitigate the high risk of erosion in the burn area. Last year, nearly 2,000 acres were treated with aerial mulching as part of Boulder County's emergency stabilization efforts. Most areas are recovering, county officials said in a press release, but the land in and around Ingram Gulch between Salina and Sunshine and other small areas between Melvina Hill and Hoosier Hill and near Fourmile Canyon Creek all need retreatment.

Aerial seeding and mulching is scheduled to start April 10, county officials said.

Staging for those operations starts today with deliveries of straw. From Tuesday through Saturday, two semi-load trailers of straw will be delivered each day through Sunshine Canyon Drive.

Starting Friday, locally produced wood shreds from mulched trees will be delivered via tractor trailers on Gold Hill Road and Sunshine Canyon for the next three weeks.

Starting April 10, a helicopter will drop seeds and mulch over the affected areas for about two weeks, including weekends. The flights will start at 6:30 a.m. and continue throughout daylight hours, weather permitting.

Due to safety concerns, no one can be in the immediate area where mulch is being dropped, and Boulder County sheriff's deputies will be in the area to enforce safety rules, the county said.

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Boulder County officials want to remind the public of the following rules:

Motorists must not block traffic on any public right away.

Members of the public must stay at least 200 feet outside the perimeter of active aerial mulching treatment areas.

No trespassing is allowed on private property, including driveways, turn-offs and private roads.